T3 - The Lost Terminator Ch. 01

Cameron watched her leave before glancing at Sarah. "She makes you uncomfortable. Your cortisol and adrenaline levels are very high."

Sarah scoffed, "Yeah, well... I'm never comfortable around machines. Especially her... She seems too human. If every terminator could act like her, we'd be screwed."

"Do you think she can be trusted?" Cameron asked.

"I don't know. This life she says she's built; I find it hard to believe. Then again. If she was lying, we'd already be dead. She even turned over her weapons willingly...." Sarah sighed, scratching her head as she thought deeply.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Asked Cameron, cocking her head slightly.

Sarah smiled weakly. "Yeah. You do. You all do, allied or not. When we get to the house, I want you ready to take her down if she tries anything." The two then sat in silence for a short while.

Kristanna eventually returned to the car and jumped in. Placing her coffee down in the centre console, she handed Cameron one with a smile.

"All done." She chirped, starting the car and pulling away, heading back out to the main road.

A while later, they pulled up outside the house the Connors were staying in. They all climbed out of the car. Cameron tried to smell her coffee, her sensors only picking up the various ingredients within it and its temperature. Kristanna, meanwhile, was sipping away at her coffee casually.

"Wait here," Sarah ordered firmly. She and Cameron head off inside whilst Kristanna waited outside. As Sarah and Cameron headed inside, she couldn't help but admire their physical appearances, scanning them as they walked away, once again assessing their body types and approximate sizes so she could give them fashion tips later on.

She looked up at the house, which was in complete shambles--shaking her head, analysing the entire area. The gutters needed clearing, the windows definitely needed a clean and the mould removed. The walls were filthy, and the shingles needed to be replaced. The yard required trimming and the leaves to be removed.

Fashion just wasn't clothing. It also included home décor, as well as a variety of other things, most of which she enjoyed quite thoroughly. Gazing around at the garden's layout as she continued to drink her coffee, Sarah emerged from the house a few moments later.

Walking up to the Terminatrix, "Hey," she said, gaining Kristanna's attention. "John's inside. First sign of trouble, you're dead, alright?"

"Of course," Kristanna said calmly, not really acknowledging the threat as she followed Sarah into the house. Upon entering, she saw Cameron waiting with a fully loaded M79 40mm grenade launcher, looking as expressionless as always.

"Just a precaution," Sarah informed the T-X, who simply nodded. One shot wouldn't delay her for long, but hey, humans needed to feel secure. They walked into the kitchen, where a young man was sitting at the island counter, fiddling with some electronics. Not even glancing up, he'd only just realised they'd returned, being so engrossed in tinkering.

"Hey, how'd it go with Enrique?" he asked as Kristanna recorded his voice for future reference.

"El Finito is a true believer, but he is finished with the life," Cameron replied.

John finally looked up. "What?" he asked but then stopped upon seeing Cameron armed and pointing her weapon at an unknown woman. "Mom?!"

"This is Kristanna; she's a... highly advanced terminator prototype that was sent back to 2004. To kill you." Sarah brightly introduced. John paled, stepping back slowly.

"Hi John," Kristanna purred, warmly smiling as she offered a handshake.

"Mom..." John grumbled worriedly.

"Oh, come on, John, you really think I'd bring a killer fembot home with me?" Sarah asked.

"Technically, we're both killer fembots," Cameron helpfully corrected Sarah. "We're just selective with whom we kill."

Everyone stared at her.

"I mean you no harm, John. I'm here to help you in whatever way I can." She said calmly, withdrawing her hand when she realised he wouldn't go anywhere near her.

"Tell him what you told me." Sarah prompted.

"I'm a T-X series terminator. I've been here since 2004, originally with a mission to kill you. But upon eliminating your future commanding officers, I was left without a mission. So rather than powering down, I decided to set about a new mission. At the time, it was infiltrating human society, which quickly led to researching all its various aspects. That then began to evolve into more of an obsession upon discovering the fashion industry." Said Kristanna. John stared at her, completely bewildered like his mother, as he struggled to find a response.

"I've since abandoned my infiltration in order to pursue the things I found interesting, deepening my understanding of humanity and its nuances. As a result of my interest in fashion, I've since become a homeowner, become a welcomed member of my local community, and started a job in Los Angeles. And learned to perform everyday human tasks, behaviours, social interactions and personal development. I have almost a full range of basic emotions, some more complex than others, and greatly expanded my vocabulary and its use. I have also learned to make small talk and deeper, more intimate conversations. I am also able to mimic eating and drinking." She continued.

John, Sarah and Cameron stood silenced, stunned by her apparent enthusiasm, sharing glances with one another as she spoke.

"In short. In the past four years, I have been able to authentically replicate almost every aspect of a functioning member of society, so much so my AI limitations merely come across as... personal quirks. But I still have plenty of learning to do."

"In conclusion. I decided to make my primary mission to protect you and Sarah and prevent judgment day." She finished, giving John a sweet grin as she downed the last of her coffee.

Still baffled, John tried to process everything she'd just said. "Why?" He asked suspiciously.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Because if you... Or we die, then she can't continue adoring her precious fashion," she said dramatically.

"Fashion?" John raised an eyebrow, looking dubious and sitting down at the kitchen counter.

"As I am portraying an attractive young woman, I require a keen fashion sense," Kristanna spoke up. "And I have grown to like wearing new things. If you die, I will no longer be able to enjoy the things I like, as they will all be destroyed along with humanity."

John let out a groan and thunked his head against the counter. "Great," he mumbled into the marble. "We've got one terminator who's socially awkward, painfully so, and another who likes to dress up."

"And has a sense of Feng Shui," Kristanna added. "This place is horrible."

"Thanks to fashion and its diversity, I have been able to compare it to humanity itself. As I've grown to enjoy fashion, I've also grown to admire humanity. It took some time... But I've become accustomed to your oddities as a species and deduced that, in actuality, most of you are no threat. Skynet overreacted."

"Right..." he said slowly. Still struggling to process everything.

"Relax, we've only been here for a few days," Sarah told her. "We haven't exactly got any money at the moment." She added.

"I have money," Kristanna offered.

"Thanks," Sarah said, giving the Terminatrix a faint grin. "We're heading to a resistance hideout, and it's bound to have weapons, cash, anything we'd need. So, we're going there."

"What for?" John blurted out, "And wait... How much have you got?" He asked the both of them.

"We need twenty grand," Sarah enlightened him. "It's a long story."

Kristanna went blank for a second as she checked her visual records of the last time she checked her account. "As of yesterday, 4.3 million dollars."

John and Sarah stopped and looked at her, almost gobsmacked. "What?" they both replied.

"I currently own 4.3 million dollars. As I said, I'm happy to assist in whatever way I can."

"How?" John asked

"Investment." She smiled.

"Let me guess, fashion." Sarah quipped, "Not gonna lie. We could use some of that right about now."

"I can make a trip to the bank and withdraw some?" Kristanna replied.

"Sounds like a good idea." She smiled briefly, turning her attention back to John.

She glanced at his barely finished electronics. "That taking you a while?"

He looked slightly flustered. "Yeah, it's taking me a while," he said. "I gotta, you know, strip wires and...."

He trailed off as Sarah gave him a nod and started walking away. Cameron walked by John and rubbed his neck with her hand and making him look a little more flustered.

Sarah headed to her bedroom, with the two female cyborgs followed her into her room.

"John is stressed.," Cameron announced.

Sarah was at her bed, getting some things ready. "Genetics are a bitch," she agreed.

Cameron blinked and then continued speaking. "I did a brief analysis," she told the other two. "Surface skin temperature high. Salinity high. Pulse abnormal."

Sarah chuckled. "That's cause the kid snuck out while we were gone. Wouldn't look me in the eye. His shoes are wet with grass. Don't need to be a Tin Miss to figure that one out. Just a mom."

"Where did he go?" Cameron asked while Kristanna stayed indifferent, simply hearing them out as she assessed the situation.

It didn't matter where he went, as long as he returned alive. Okay, she drew the line at grievously injured.

Sarah sighed, checking her Glock. "Worry about that later," she told Cameron. "Just need to make sure he doesn't do it again."

There was a quiet pause. "I didn't know that was something you could do," Sarah admitted to Cameron. "The skin trick. I should know more about your skills or whatever. Like can you analyse blood? Can you scan someone?"

"You mean Computed Axial Tomography?" Cameron asked after thinking for a moment. "CAT scans?"

"Yeah, that," Sarah nodded. "Can you do that?"

Cameron stared at her. "No," she replied flatly.

"I can analyse blood samples," Kristanna added, putting in her two cents. "It aids me in any search and destroy missions."

Sarah sighed. "Good to hear," she said. She then grew curious. "What else?"

Kristanna took that as a query about her human-related abilities. "I have comprehensive vocal and facial scanners. I can also detect a variety of scents and chemical properties with enhanced nasal scanners." she listed, "And also retina scanning systems. But other than that, not much else."

"Combat capabilities?" Sarah demanded.

"The T-X is designed for extreme combat," Cameron spoke up. Almost feeling a hint of jealousy towards Kristanna. "Driven by a plasma reactor and equipped with onboard weapons. Its arsenal includes nano-technological transjectors."

Sarah raised an eyebrow as she glanced back at them for a moment.

"I can control other machines of virtually any type," Kristanna explained.

"Its body chassis is heavily armoured and hardened to withstand external attack," Cameron continued, no doubt reading from her database. "The T-X is faster, more powerful, and more intelligent than all T-8XX and T-1XXX series terminators. The T-X is also designed to terminate other cybernetic organisms."

Sarah rolled her eye at Kristanna. "So, you kill just about everything, huh?" she asked.

Kristanna shrugged. "Only when I deem it necessary," she replied.

"You mentioned onboard weapons," John said, walking into the room, having overheard their conversation from the other room. "What kind of onboard weapons?"

Kristanna thought for a moment. "Both arms are capable of reconfiguration," she told them. "Each one has a different set of weapons or tools. My right arm can change into a plasma cannon, flamethrower,.223 calibre Automatic Stopper, armour piercing.45 calibre Cascader, M41 pulse rifle, 783 CHAIN repeater, ADMOR BioBlaster, BioRail 32SR-9, or an CG45 Needler."

John swallowed audibly. "Okay... and your left arm?" he asked nervously. He had no idea what weapons she was talking about, but Kristanna knew they sounded ominous enough.

"Various tools such as a precision circular saw, screwdriver heads, jigsaw, pincer vice grip or blades, nano-technological transjectors, small melee weapons and a variety of keys or lock picking implements," she replied.

"I see..." Sarah said slowly. "Well, I'm glad you're on our side." She gulped slightly.

"I'm on fashion's side," Kristanna corrected her.